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THIS WEEK’S FRUIT

Golden Russet Bosc Pears
The Bosc is a strikingly decorative pear that’s reputed to have first sprung to life as a wild seedling in the mid-18th century. It was introduced to the US in 1836 and has also been known as the Kaiser Alexander. The Golden Russet is true to its name with a yellowish-white flesh and a uniformly russet skin. It has the classic Bosc shape of a long elegant neck. Excellent for cooking, the Bosc’s texture holds up very well in pies, tarts, and for poaching. Pears are great sources of Vitamin C which, fights free radicals. They are also an excellent source of fiber. Eat the skins! Research shows that the skins contain three to four times as many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids as the flesh. Doctors also recommend pears for introducing babies to solid foods because they are low in acid and will be easier on babies tummies.

Shinko Asian Pears
The Shinko is a large pear with its round shape slightly flattened. The skin is bronze with brown russeting and its juicy, creamy white flesh has a subtly rich flavor.

Pink Lady Apples
Cayuma Orchards, New Cayuma, CA
A cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams, the Pink Lady is a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. A creamy white colored flesh that resists browning makes this an excellent apple for salads and slicing. Also a modern day favorite for eating out of hand. The apple a day adage may be spot on. Recent research has shown that apples are associated with lower risk of heart diseases and strokes. They are also an excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C.

Hayward Kiwi
Chiechi Farms, Live Oak, CA
Originally known as the Chinese gooseberry due to its Chinese orgins. Hawyward Wright, a New Zealand nurseryman propagated his plants by grafting and they eventually became the preferred cultivar of growers due to their sweet flavor and thin skin. Kiwis are a great source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.

Clementines
Olsen Organic Farms, Lindsay, CA
Clementines are the smallest variety of mandarin oranges. They are a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarine. Clementines are very sweet, juicy, easy to peel, and usually seedless, making them very popular with children and adult alike. Clementines are rich in potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B-complex minerals like niacin and thiamine.

A Note from Farmer Al

Dear CSA Members,

Pruning

Immediately after picking, we begin pruning the olive trees. Massive amounts of silvery-grey-green leaves and branches begin to cover the ground beneath the soaring graceful branches so recently unburdened of their heavy load of olives. With about ¼ of the brushy small branches thinned (pruned) out, the remaining structural branches are more readily visible, and exposed to sunlight which will energize new growth for the next year and beyond.

The pruned material is soon gathered by the ground crew and taken to the composting area where it is piled high in one place to be then quickly shredded by our compost crew into tiny bits and pieces of material for composting. We now have huge piles of woody material which will be combined in the proper proportion with horse manure (from our neighbor), and our own fruit waste material from our kitchen and packing shed operations to make the compost.

And so, with pruning, begins another cycle of death, rebirth, and re-growth to prepare and enliven our trees again for giving us bountiful, delicious crops of fruit.

It all sounds so easy! But wait….compost does not “Just Happen” as the saying goes. Much, much more is needed to make really good compost. The kind our trees really need. That’s where Christophe, our molecular biologist, brings his expertise to the process, taking temperatures on a weekly basis and analyzing microbial activity with an electron microscope. Then there are the tractors needed, and the wood chipper, and the front end loader, and the compost turner, and our dedicated and skilled workers to apply all these systems in the proper way.

And of course there are you, our CSA members, and all the other folks who buy the fruit; so that it all keeps going….this wonderful process of farming good food.

Thanks to all, and especially for the gift of this good land!